Water flow responsive barrier for gutters and storm drains with rotary actuator

ABSTRACT

A barrier to exclude trash and debris from storm drains which includes a pivoted gate moved by a vane-type rotor. The rotor is actuated to open an entry to the storm drain by flow of water at a rate above and agreeable minimum, and to maintain it closed at no or low flow rates.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Exclusion of debris and trash from gutter and storm drains exceptduring high rates of stream flow.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] It is the intended function of gutters and storm drains to carryaway water during storms that might otherwise flood adjacent areas. Ithas become commonplace to observe that when unregulated, all of thetrash and contaminants from upstream locations will finally arrive atsome downstream location to the disadvantage of the environment at theplace of ultimate discharge.

[0003] A prominent example is Los Angeles County, Calif., where therun-off from an area of many square miles discharges into very localoutfalls in the Pacific Ocean at places near to residential andrecreational usage. One well-known example is Santa Monica bay, andthere are others. Especially after heavy storms, beaches for miles arerestricted from public usage until after many tides have diluted andwashed away what had arrived at the coast. Similar situations ariseelsewhere along many rivers and in many valleys.

[0004] The original generation of this burden can be only partiallyaverted by local means. People will still wash cars, rake leaves, anddeposit trash in gutters and storm drains. This and other solid debriswill somehow reach this major system. However, the storm drainage systemis not designed for trash collection. Instead it is intended to protectan urban area from floods of water when heavy rains occur, while stilldraining away the water generated during normal events, such as lightrains and normal processes like over-watering lawns and washing cars.

[0005] The problem is that during dry periods, solid materials stillfind their way into the system, either because of its regular generationupstream, or because people put things into it. Unless removed it clogsthe system and will not carry the water away. A flood results. As aconsequence, every such system is regularly cleaned out, hopefullybefore the next heavy rain. Vacuum trucks, persons in hazmat suits goinginto manholes, and the like regularly do this expensive work.

[0006] The least expensive removal work is the mechanical streetsweeper. It can routinely sweep up accumulations of solid material, fromgutters. However, this cannot be a daily event. Usually it will be oncea week. In the meantime, the solids can accumulate or be put into thesystem.

[0007] There can be only partial solutions, anywhere, to the totalsituation, and they will largely be local. However, each time a problemis at least partially solved upstream, for the load downstream wheremany upstream sources converge, each one can be an importantimprovement. The problem is to remove all that one can, while stillallowing normal living and natural functions to be accommodated.

[0008] It is an object of this invention to exclude during periods of noor low water flow undesirable solid materials from drainage systems.During such dry periods, the solids will remain in their usual firstcollection sites, mainly gutters. These can be swept away by sweepers,and will not have to be removed from collection basins, nor will theyarrive at a river or ocean. The ultimate burden is vastly reduced.

[0009] The objective of barring the passage of solids at the entrance ofa curb or storm drain opening is shown in Martinez U.S. Pat. No.6,217,756. This patent shows a pivoted gate at the entrance to a systemthat remains closed to large solids, but permits flow of water aroundand/or through it.

[0010] An actuator in the form of a bucket is suspended in the systemwhere slowly-flowing water will not reach it, but rapidly flowing waterwill. When a sufficient weight of water is in the bucket, it will openthe gate. Holes in the bucket drain the water, so that sufficient waterin the bucket to open the barrier remains only when the flow rate issufficiently high.

[0011] This product depends for its successful operation on the balancebetween the rate of flow of water into the bucket, and the rate of flowout of its holes. This requires that the bucket and its drain holesremain “clean”. A problem is that debris can accumulate in the bucketand the drain holes can plug up. This is a fail-safe arrangement,because the tendency is to retain water and keep the barrier open. Thusthere is no risk of closure which might result in flooding. It can,however, fail to close when the rain stops.

[0012] It is an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantagesof a system actuated by the collection of water with a dynamic systemwhich, while responsive to rate of water flow, also is self-cleaning, sothat in the absence of a sufficient dynamic force, the system remainsclosed to the entry of solids.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A water flow responsive barrier according to this inventionincludes a gate pivoted so as to occlude, at least in part, or to leaveopen, an entry into a drainage system. Its most characteristicapplication is in the curbside entry into a drainage chamber. Suchchambers are enlarged regions intended to hold accumulations of largersolids before they can pass into a larger system downstream from them.Most of these chambers are surmounted by manholes. These manholes areroutinely entered to clean them out.

[0014] The entry is generally formed at a rectangular opening with twoopposite sides, a top, and a bottom sill. Water entering the entry flowsover the sill. At slow flow rates water such as overflow from lawns,washing of cars, and light rains, merely drains over the sill, and doesnot project far into the chamber. As such, it will not actuate thebarrier, and the gate will remain closed. Slow water flows past orthrough it, while the gate continues to bar trash from entering thechamber.

[0015] According to this invention, a rotor is pivotally mounted in thechamber where it will be encountered by a rapidly flowing stream, suchas from a heavy rain. This rotor carries vanes which are impinged on bythe rapid stream which turns the rotor. The rotor then actuates linkagewhich will pivot the gate open to permit rapid flow of water. It willalso pass such solids as may have been permitted to accumulate in thegutter. Flooding will not result.

[0016] According to a feature of this invention, the vanes do notaccumulate water in the sense of a bucket or container. Instead they actin response to a dynamic load.

[0017] Accordingly to a preferred but optional feature of the invention,the vanes are open at least at one end, so there is no risk of theirbeing plugged or accumulating water or debris.

[0018] The above and other features of this invention will be fullyunderstood from the following detailed description and the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the system of the inventioninstalled in a curb;

[0020]FIG. 2 is a side view partly in cross-section showing the systemof FIG. 1;

[0021]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a rotor in FIG. 2;

[0022]FIG. 4 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the invention;and

[0023]FIG. 5 is a schematic view of yet another embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024]FIGS. 1 and 2 show the entry 10 from a gutter 11 through a curb12. The entry has two sidewalls 13, 14, a top 15, and a bottom sill 16.The sill is located at the gutter level. It forms an entry into acollector chamber 17 into which water flows, and from which water isdischarged into a downstream system. The objective of this invention isto prevent trash and other debris from entering the chamber, therebyreducing the need to clean it out.

[0025] A manhole 20 with a cover 21 is provided at the top to giveaccess for cleaning purposes. In most installations the upper edge 22 ofthe curb will directly overhang the sill. However, more recent designsplace edge 22 behind the sill as shown in FIG. 2. This invention isadaptable to both arrangements.

[0026] As best shown in FIG. 2, a frame 25 is fitted in the entry. Itcomprises a pair of identical U-shaped stiff metal straps 26, 27 whichare interconnected by bars 28, 29. The straps are identical, so onlystrap 26 is shown in detail. Its lower arm 30 is fastened to the sill bya fastener 31 drawn into the sill.

[0027] Its upper arm 32 is fixed to the top of the entry, for example bya weld to a usually-present metal angle 33. This frame is now a rigidinstallation inside the chamber, The straps are usually about one inchwide, so they do not form a significant impediment to flow of water.

[0028] A gate 35 is mounted to the frame by a hinge plate 36. Pluralholes 37 are formed in the plate to receive a hinge pin 38 that pivots alever 39. Gate 35 is mounted to one arm of the lever. In the positionillustrated in FIG. 2, the gate is down and closed. The left hand end ofthe lever is up. When the lever is rotated to lift the gate, the lefthand end is pulled down as will be disclosed.

[0029] A rotor 40 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is pivoted to an axle support 41.Support 41 is fixed such as by a weld to the lower arm 27 of the strap26. The rotor extends between the pair of supports and is rotatablearound an axle 42. The rotor is shown as a complete cylinder, but mayinstead be only a partial cylinder as preferred, or even by a group ofvanes.

[0030] A counterweight 45 is attached to the rotor, which exerts aprevailing force to return the rotor to the illustrated position withthe gate closed.

[0031] A plurality of vanes 46 is formed on the rotor. These vanesextend axially along the rotor, from end to end. They may convenientlybe made of strips of rigid curved material attached to the rotorstructure. High flow water, schematically shown at 53 will flow farenough into the chamber to impinge on these vanes and tend to turn therotor clockwise in FIG. 2, against the forces exerted by thecounterweight. Slowly flowing water, merely flows down the wall of thechamber and does not impinge on the vanes. The gate leaves sufficientgaps around it, or provides openings sufficient for enough water to passit to start the rotor turning.

[0032] The vanes are open-ended at at least one end so water and debrisdrain away and will not accumulate in them. The system is reliablydrained and relies on dynamic force to open the gate.

[0033] Actuator linkage 55 includes a pull link 56 pivotally attached tolever 39 on its side away from the gate. In turn the pull link ispivotally attached to a base link 57, which in turn is connected to aslack link 58. The slack link is pivotally connected to the base linkand to the rotor.

[0034] The operation of this device is straight forward. When there isno flow or slow flow, the counterweight rotates the rotor to theposition of FIG. 2. This pushes the slack link, the base link, and thepull link all upwardly, and thereby moves the gate down to occlude theentry.

[0035] When the flow is rapid enough, the water impinges on the vanes,rotating the rotor, pulling pull link 56 down, and rotating lever 39 tolift the gate. This situation will prevail as long as the rapid flowpersists.

[0036] The arrangement of FIG. 2 is presently preferred, because it mostconveniently removes the gate from the entry. However, there may beinstallations where the surroundings are too close and it is necessaryto hinge the gate to the entry itself. Such hinges can be at either thetop or bottom of the entry as preferred.

[0037] In all of these arrangements, the rotor can be employed to equaladvantage with simple modifications to the linkages. Two suchmodifications are shown schematically in FIGS. 4 and 5. It will beunderstood that these are not to scale nor necessarily accuratelyproportioned. A skilled designer can readily adapt these systems when heknows the dimensions and anticipated forces for a specific installation.

[0038]FIG. 4 schematically shows a gate 60 hinged at its bottom to asill 61. It extends across the entry when closed, and is pulled down toopen the entry. Structures similar to that of FIG. 2 is shown, and pulllink 56 from that system is shown as the driving link from a rotor (notshown).

[0039] A lever 62 is fixed to the gate and hinged to pull link 56. Whenthe rotor is in its repose condition (FIG. 2), lever 62 is up and thegate is closed. When the rotor rotates, pull link 56 is pulled down,which pulls down lever 62 and opens the gate.

[0040]FIG. 5 schematically shows a gate 65 hinged to the top of theentry. A lever 66 is fixed to this gate and to a rocker arm 67 pivotedto the frame. In turn the rocker arm is pivoted to pull link 56. It willbe seen that the rocker arm has reversed the applied force of the pulllever, so an upward force is exerted on the gate lever to open the gate.

[0041] The pertinence of the structures of FIGS. 4 and 5 is to emphasizethe wide applicability of use of the rotor to actuate the system, andespecially of a rotor which depends on dynamic force rather thansustained weight from its operation.

[0042] This invention is not to be limited by the embodiments shown inthe drawings and described in the description, which are given by way ofexample and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A barrier system which closes to exclude trash and debrisfrom passing through an opening into a chamber when accompanied by waterflowing at an acceptably slow or slower rate of flow, and which opens topermit passage of such material and water when the flow rate of thewater is at a faster rate which equals or exceeds said acceptable rate,said opening formed in rigid structure where it will receive said water,said system comprising: a hingedly mounted gate having a closed positionacross said opening and an open position rotatable to a position whereit does not substantially occlude said opening, said system permittingflow of water past said gate while the flow rate is acceptable and thegate is in its closed position; a rotor rotatably mounted in saidchamber so disposed and arranged as to be impacted by water flowing atsufficiently high rates, said rotor including a plurality of vanes inthe path of said water whose impact force will cause the rotor torotate, and a counterweight opposing said rotation; and linkageinterconnecting said rotor and said gate, so disposed and arranged thatthe vanes are spaced far enough away that they will not be impinged uponby water at said lower rates, but will be impinged upon at higher rates,which cause said rotor to actuate said linkage to open said gate to itsopen position.
 2. A barrier system according to claim 1 in which saidvanes are troughs open on at least one of their ends.
 3. A barriersystem according to claim 2 in which said vanes are troughs open at bothends.
 4. A barrier system according to claim 1 in which said gate ispivotally mounted to a frame in said chamber, and in which said linkageexerts a force tending to move said gate between a position occludingsaid opening and a position opening it.
 5. A barrier system according toclaim 1 in which said gate is pivotally mounted to structure surroundingsaid opening and in which said linkage causes said gate to pivot to openor to close said opening in response to the rotary position of therotor.
 6. A barrier system according to claim 5 in which said gate ismounted to said sill.
 7. A barrier system according to claim 5 in whichsaid gate is mounted to structure at the top of said opening.
 8. In abarrier system which closes to exclude trash and debris from passingthrough an opening into a chamber when accompanied by water flowing atan acceptably slow or slower rate of flow, and which opens to permitpassage of such material and water when the flow rate of the water is ata faster rate which equals or exceeds said acceptable rate, said openingformed in rigid structure where it will receive said water, said systemincluding a hingedly mounted gate to having a closed position acrosssaid opening and rotatable to an open position rotatable to a positionwhere it does not substantially occlude said opening, said systempermitting flow of water past said gate while the flow rate isacceptable and the barrier is therefore in its closed position; and alinkage system adapted to move the gate to its open or to its closedposition, the improvement comprising: a rotor having an axis ofrotation, and a plurality of vanes, said vanes lying in the path ofwater at said faster rate, whereby to turn said rotor, and for the rotorto actuate said linkage.
 9. The improvement of claim 8 in which saidvanes are troughs open on at least one of their ends.
 10. Theimprovement of claim 9 in which said vane are troughs open at both ends.11. The improvement of claim 8 further including a counterweightopposing rotation of said rotor.